This file includes institutions that have closed, merged, or
changed their names.If you note a
need for changing or updating information, please notify
ray.brown@westminster-mo.edu.An index
with links to separate pages for other states and countries is available at http://www2.westminster-mo.edu/wc_users/homepages/staff/brownr/ClosedCollegeIndex.htm.There is also a blog
at http://collegehistorygarden.blogspot.com/ with links to other resources.Thanks for your interest!
College
Name
City
State
Start Date
End Date
Affiliation
Other Information
Source
Abingdon
College
Abingdon
Illinois
1855
1885
Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ)
Cummins gives 1853 as date of
founding; established by Patrick H. Murphy and John C. Reynolds, graduates of
Bethany College (VA); enrolled 1,087 students in first six years; discord
surrounding president J. W. Butler, led to merger and movement of records to
Eureka College
http://abingdonhistory.home.att.net/Content/Framesethome.htm
Cummins, D. Duane.The Disciples Colleges: A History.1987.
Abingdon
College Normal
Abingdon
Illinois
property of former Abingdon
College purchased by a Prof. Summers who operated an institution for a couple
of years
outgrowth of classes started at
Battle Creek Sanitarium in 1878; AMMC was chartered in Illinois in 1895 and
students received their education in both Battle Creek and in Chicago; merged
with Illinois State University
name changed to College of St.
Francis in 1930, now University of St. Francis
Schier and Russett.Catholic Women's
Colleges in America. 2002.
Songe, Alice H.American Universities and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name
Changes.1978.
Augustana
College & Seminary
Chicago
Illinois
1860
Lutheran
moved to Paxton, IL in 1863;
name changed to Augustana Seminary and Marshall Academy in 1869 after move to
Marshall, WI and to Beloit,IA in 1881, then operated in several South Dakota
towns after 1884
Brenner, Morgan G.The Encyclopedia of
College & University Name Histories.2003.
Austin
College
Effingham
Illinois
1891
1905
successor to Effingham
Collegiate Institute and Conservatory of Music; campus was on four acres of
land bounded now by Crawford Avenue, Park Street, Lawrence Avenue and Banker
Street; by 1903 approx. 3,000 students had attended and the institution
granted 150 bachelors' degrees; in June 1903 building and grounds were sold
to the Christian Churches of Illinois and continued operation for two years;
W.L. Bissell then purchased the college and it became part of the Illinois
College of Photography that operated until 1931; fire destroyed the building
in 1937
www.bbonline.com/il/garnethall/
Cummins, D. Duane.The Disciples Colleges: A History.1987.
www.effingham.com/kperkins/austin_college.htm
Barat
College
Lake Forest
Illinois
1858
2005
Religious of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus
founded in Chicago as Sacred
Heart Academy; relocated to Lake Forest in 1904 and served as foundation for
Barat College that opened in 1918; merged with DePaul University in 2001;
decision by DePaul's trustees to close the isnstitution June 2005
March 23, 2001 and February 12,
2004 Chronicle of Higher Education;
Schier and Russett.Catholic Women's Colleges in America.2002.
www.woodlands.lfc.edu
Bedford
Male and Female College
Bedford
Illinois
1869
Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ)
Cummins, D. Duane.The Disciples
Colleges: A History.1987.
founded as German & English
College; name changed to Chaddock College to honor the benefactor Charles
Chaddock of Astoria, IL; on September 12, 1900 the name was changed to
Chaddock Boys School; it served as an orphanage for periods of time and also served
many girls; in the early 1920's became a military school; the military
curriculum was eventually phased out; photos from the mid-1950's show
children in military uniforms; in 1960 the focus officially changed to become
a home for dependent neglected boys; in 1982 the program was updated to
include residential treatment for girls and it became Chaddock, officially
dropping "boys school" from the name
renamed Spertus College of
Judaica in 1970 and Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in 1993; evolved to
become Jewish Studies departments at a number of Chicago institutions
Hunt and Carper, eds.Religious Higher
Education in the United States. 1996.
Songe, Alice H.American Universities and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name
Changes.1978.
Chicago
College of Medicine and Surgery
Chicago
Illinois
1918
purchased by Loyola University
in 1918
http://www.meddean.luc.edu/prospective/history.htm
Brenner, Morgan G.The Encyclopedia of College & University Name Histories.2003.
Chicago
Correspondence Bible College
Chicago
Illinois
1904
Cummins, D. Duane.The Disciples
Colleges: A History.1987.
Chicago
Female College
Chicago
Illinois
1875
founded by Gilbert Thayer at
Morgan Park; Thayer served as president for fifteen years; absorbed into
University of Chicago preparatory department
founded as Miss Harrison's
Training School in 1886; renamed Chicago Kindergarten Training School in 1889
and Kindergarten College in 1891; later National Kindergarten College and
after several more name changes now operates at National-Louis University
http://nlu.nl.edu/nlu_nce/ncate/ncate_standards/Introduction/
Brenner, Morgan G.The Encyclopedia
of College & University Name Histories.2003.
Chicago
Medical College
Chicago
Illinois
1870
later became Northwestern
University Medical School
http://www.meddean.luc.edu/prospective/history.htm
Brenner, Morgan G.The Encyclopedia of College & University Name Histories. 2003.
Chicago
Musical College
Chicago
Illinois
1867
founded as Chicago Academy of
Music; name changed to CMC in 1872; merged with Roosevelt University School
of Music in 1954, operating as Chicago College of Performing Arts since 1997
Brenner, Morgan G.The Encyclopedia of
College & University Name Histories. 2003.
Chicago
Normal College
Chicago
Illinois
1867
founded as Cook County Normal
School; later named Chicago Normal School in 1896, Chicago Normal College in
1913, Chicago Teacher's College in 1938 and then, Illinois Teachers College
in 1965; now Chicago State University after 1971
www.petersons.com/blackcolleges/profiles/Chicago_State.html
Songe, Alice H.American
Universities and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
established as Cook County
Normal School, became Chicago Normal School in 1896, Chicago Teachers College
in 1910, Chicago Normal College in 1913, Chicago Teachers College in 1938,
Illinois Teachers College Chicago-South in 1965, Chicago State College in 1967
and Chicago State University in 1971
Songe, Alice H.American Universities
and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
Chicago
Teachers College, North Side
Chicago
Illinois
1949
state supported
name change to Illinois Teachers
College: Chicago North in 1965; to Northeastern Illinois State College in
1967; to Northeastern Illinois University in 1971
Brenner, Morgan G.The Encyclopedia of
College & University Name Histories. 2003.
Dominican Fathers of the Province
of Saint Albert the Great
separated from School of
Philosophy and moved to Dubuque, IA in 1951; became The Dominican College of
Saint Rose of Lima in 1950; reorganized as Aquinas Institute of Philosophy
and Theology in 1961; renamed Aquinas Institute of Theology in 1970 with merger
of branches
Songe, Alice H.American Universities
and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
Crane
Junior College
Chicago
Illinois
1911
1933
public
reopened in 1934 as Herzl Junior
College, later part of City Colleges of Chicago
opened by Walter H. Callow and
merged with Ellis Business College in 1905
www.elginhistory.com/dgb/ch12.htm
Ellis
Business College
Elgin
Illinois
1900
1968
proprietary
opened on Douglas Avenue, later
relocated in the Town Block and in 1915 occupied part of a building at the
corner of Spring and Division; the founder Frank Ellis sold out in 1919; in
1925 Ellis absorbed Metropolitan Business College
successor to YMCA Training
School, becoming YMCA College in 1913 and George Williams College in 1892;
later in 1992became part of Aurora
University in Aurora, IL
www.ymca.net/about/cont/history.htm
Songe, Alice H.American
Universities and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
Brenner, Morgan G.The Encyclopedia of College & University Name Histories.2003.
German
& English College
Quincy
Illinois
1854
1864
German Methodist Episcopal Church
English portion of the college
ceased operation in 1863; summer 1864 it was decided to establish new
institution and site in Warrenton, Missouri was selected & became Central
Wesleyan College
after closure became a high
school and is currently John Greer Grade School
http://www.crl.edu/collcat/collcatG.htm
Harvey
Medical College
Chicago
Illinois
http://www.crl.edu/collcat/collcatH.htm
Hedding
College
Abingdon
Illinois
1857
1926
Methodist
chartered as Hedding Seminary
and Central Illinois Female College using facilities of former Abingdon
College; after 1875 known as Hedding College; in 1930 records transferred to
Illinois Wesleyan University
founded as The Literary and
Technological Institute of the Lutheran Church of the Far West; moved to
Springfield, IL and assumed name of Illinois State University; considered a
predecessor to Carthage College
www.carthage.edu/about/history.html
Solberg.Lutheran
Higher Education in North America.1985.
Illinois
Agricultural College
Irvington
Illinois
1866
in 1887 title to college and
land was transferred to the state; property was sold with proceeds given to
Southern Illinois Normal University and Irvington College.Hudelson Baptist Orphanage later occupied
the campus.
founded as Illinois Conference
Female College; name shortened to Illinois Female College in 1863; changed to
Illinois Woman's College in 1899 and to MacMurray College for Women in 1930;
in 1955 trustees established MacMurray College for Men
www.mac.edu/campus/timeline
Songe, Alice H.American
Universities and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
Illinois
Holiness University
Olivet
Illinois
1908
Church of the Nazarene
later renamed Olivet College in
1923 and in 1986 to Olivet Nazarene University
http://www.nazarene.org/ansr/articles/ingersol_98.html
http://education.olivet.edu/undergraduate/mission_/history.htm
Hunt and Carper, eds.Religious Higher Education in the United States.1996.
Illinois
Industrial University
Urbana
Illinois
1867
state supported
name changed to University of
Illinois in 1885
Brenner, Morgan G.The Encyclopedia of
College & University Name Histories.2003.
Illinois
Soldiers' College
Fulton
Illinois
1861
Col. D. S. Covert opened initial
military academy and conducted it for five years; in 1866 the Illinois
Soldiers' College was organized to enable disabled soldiers of Illinois
regiments to continue their education. Col. Leander H. Potter was president,
and remained in charge until 1873; the name was changed to Northern Illinois
College; Rev. W. D. F. Lummis was
president until 1875, followed by J. W. Hubbard, Allen A. Griffith (until
in 1879); then, A. M. Hansen;
Illinois
State Normal College
Normal
Illinois
1857
state supported
now Illinois State University
www.ilstu.edu
Illinois
State University
Springfield
Illinois
1852
1869
Lutheran
successor to Hillsboro College;
predecessor to Carthage College that opened in 1870 in Carthage, IL; Carthage
College continued to operate in Illinois until 1962 when it moved to Kenosha,
WI; John Hay, Lincoln's private secretary, biographer and later U.S.
ambassador to England and Secreatary of State, was an alum of ISU
www.carthage.edu/about/history.html
Solberg.Lutheran
Higher Education in North America.1985.
Immaculata
College
Bartlett
Illinois
1955
1969
Songe, Alice H.American Universities
and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
Immaculate
Conception College
Oconomowoc
Illinois
Sisters of Saint Francis of the
Immaculate Conception
founded for education of
Sisters, probably never admitted lay students
http://www.crl.edu/content.asp?l1=5&l2=22&l3=39&top=10
Schier and Russett.Catholic Women's Colleges in America.
2002.
Lewis
College
Romeoville
Illinois
1932
Catholic
founded under direction of
Chicago Archdiocese as Holy Name Technical School; in 1934, incorporated as
Lewis Holy Name Technical School; in 1935, became Lewis Holy Name School of
Aeronautics; by 1949, women were admitted and high school classes were discontinued;
renamed Lewis College of Science and Technology; granted first baccalaureate
degrees in 1952; Brothers of Christian Schools assumed leadership of the
institution in 1960; name change to Lewis College in 1962; though
unsuccessful, the name of Lewis-St. Francis of Illinois was used during the
1970-71 academic year and reflected a conversation at the time about a
possible merger; name changed to Lewis University in 1973
http://www.lewisu.edu/welcome/lewis.htm
Lincoln
Open University
Lombard
Illinois
1975
Songe, Alice H.American Universities
and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
Lind
University
Chicago
Illinois
1857
name change to Lake Forest
University in 1865, then Lake Forest College after 1965
Songe, Alice H.American Universities
and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
Brenner, Morgan G.The Encyclopedia of College & University Name Histories.2003.
Lombard
College
Galesburg
Illinois
1851
1930
originally Illinois Liberal
Institute; a Universalist Divinity School opened in 1881 in Chicago; the
divinity school merged with Meadville Theological School to form Meadville
Lombard after the undergraduate college closed during the Great Depression;
sold to Knox College
founded as Mennonite Hospital
School of Nursing; Mennonite College of Nursing after 1982; merged with
Illinois State University in 1999, retaining name
http://www.mcn.ilstu.edu/about/index.shtml
Brenner, Morgan G.The Encyclopedia of College & University Name Histories.2003.
Methodist
Medical Center of Illinois School of Nursing
Peoria
Illinois
1900
in fall 2002 became Methodist
Medical Center of Illinois College of Nursing and changed from a
diploma-granting school of nursing to a baccalaureate degree-granting
institution
http://www.mmci.org/education.asp
Metropolitan
Community College
East St. Louis
Illinois
1969
1998
initially State Community
College; operated as Metropolitan Community College from 1996-1998; re-opened
as East St Louis Community College Center in 1999 with the same buildings and
address, but with much renovation. Currently hosting classes from the following
colleges: Southwestern Illinois College, Kaskaskia College, Shawnee Community
College; oversight by Southern Illinois Collegiate Common Market and the
Illinois Community College Board.
Rock River Seminary, the first
institution of higher education in northern Illinois was established by the
Methodist Church in 1839.It closed in
1879 due to financial difficulty.The
Church of the Brethren then purchased the campus and opened Mount Morris
Seminary and Collegiate Institute.In
1884 name changed to Mount Morris College.Merged with Manchester College.
www.historyillinois.org/frames/markers/231.htm
Hunt and Carper, eds.Religious Higher Education in the United States.1996.
Mundelein
College
Chicago
Illinois
1991
Sisters of Charity, BVM
now operating as unit of Loyola
University of Chicago since 1991
Schier and Russett.Catholic Women's
Colleges in America.2002.
became Illinois Teachers College
Chicago-North in 1965, Northeastern Illinois State College in 1967,a nd
Northeastern Illinois University in 1971
Songe, Alice H.American Universities
and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
Northern
Illinois College of Ophthalmology and Optometry
Chicago
Illinois
1872
became Northern Illinois College
of Optometry in 1926, after merger with Needles Institute of Optometry;
adopted name of Illinois College of Optometry after 1955 merger with Chicago
College of Optometry
Songe, Alice H.American Universities
and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
Northern
Illinois University
Fulton
Illinois
1861
see entry for Illinois Soldiers
College
Burke, Colin B. American Collegiate Populations.
1982.
Northwestern
Female College
Evanston
Illinois
later Evanston College for
Ladies; merged with Northwestern Univ in 1873
now Olivet Nazarene University
after fire in 1939, the institution relocated to a property formerly owned by
Viator College; for a time the property in Olivet was operated as a seminary
and retreat center by the La Salette Fathers; an academy known as St.
Joseph's (begun in 1974 north of Detroit, MI) moved to Olivet in September
2005 and operates as Notre Dame de La Salette Boys Academy
www.olivet.edu/about/history/history.html
Hunt and Carper, eds.Religious Higher Education in the United States.1996
http://lasaletteboysacademy.org/
Oregon
Bible College
Oregon
Illinois
1939
1991
Church of God
originated from Bible Training
School operated by National Bible Institution from 1923 to 1932; relocated to
Morrow, Georgia in 1991 as Atlanta Bible College
during WW II era, Parks and its
subsidiaries were responjsible for training one out of every ten U.S. Army
Air Corps pilots plus thousands of aircraft mechanics; college given to St.
Louis University in 1946 as Parks College of Aeronautical Technology
1998 Data Book on Illinois
Higher Education
Songe, Alice H.American
Universities and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
www.slu.edu/sluhistory/scene15.html
Pastor's
College
Champaign
Illinois
1908
Cummins, D. Duane.The Disciples
Colleges: A History.1987.
merged with Columbia College of
Chicago in 1928, merger dissolved in 1944
Brenner, Morgan G.The Encyclopedia of
College & University Name Histories.2003.
Plainfield
College
Plainfield
Illinois
1861
1869
name change to North-Western
College in 1864; moved to Naperville in 1870 and renamed North Central
College after 1926
http://www.plainfield-il.org/history_of_plainfield.htm
Songe, Alice H.American
Universities and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
Brenner, Morgan G.The Encyclopedia of College & University Name Histories. 2003.
Pleasantview
Lutheran College
Ottawa
Illinois
1896
1935
Lutheran
the facility operated as
Pleasant View Luther Retirement Home since 1937
http://www.stolaf.edu/library/archives/
Prairie
College
Galesburg
Illinois
1836
name changed to Knox Manual
Labor College in 1837 and to Knox College in 1857
Songe, Alice H.American Universities
and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
founded as St. Clara's College
in Wisconsin; name changed to Dominican University in 1997
http://domcentral.org/dlc/opus/usstory.htm
http://www.dom.edu/about/about.html
Schier and Russett.Catholic Women's Colleges in America.2002.
Ruskin
College
Glen Ellyn
Illinois
1904
1906
Ruskin College, a liberal arts
and industrial school, was established in 1899 in Trenton, Missouri. When it
outgrew its facilities, it moved in 1904 to Glen Ellyn, Illinois, but burned
down in 1906. It was re-established in Ruskin, Florida in 1910 and lasted
until 1919, when it burned down.
campus acquired by Olivet
Nazarene College in 1939 following a fire
Hunt and Carper, eds.Religious Higher
Education in the United States.1996.
Saint
Vincent's College
Chicago
Illinois
1898
Catholic
name changed to DePaul
University in 1907
Songe, Alice H.American Universities
and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
Sangamon
State University
Springfield
Illinois
1969
state supported
joined with University of
Illinois in July 1995 to become University of Illinois-Springfield
www.uis.edu
Scholl
College of Podiatric Medicine
Chicago
Illinois
1912
2002
will become professional school
of Finch University of Health Sciences
Chronicle of Higher Education,
9/14/01
Shurtleff
College
Alton
Illinois
1827
1960
Baptist
evolved from Rock Spring Academy
Burke, Colin B. American Collegiate Populations.
1982.
Southern
Illinois Christian College
Alma
Illinois
1896
Cummins, D. Duane.The Disciples
Colleges: A History.1987.
Southern
Illinois College
Carbondale
Illinois
1866
1869
Churches of Christ
property sold to city of
Carbondale and served as foundation for Southern Illinois Normal University
www.ag.uiuc.edu/~mcmillan/Restlit/States/Illinois/collsout.htm
www.iltrails.org/jackson/c13.htm
Cummins, D. Duane.The Disciples Colleges: A History.1987.
Southern
Illinois College
Enfield
Illinois
1880
late 1890's
Cumberland Presbyterian
Alma mater of United States
senators William E. Borah, Idaho and Wesley L. Jones, Washington. This
educational institution was chartered in 1873. From the 1890's until 1935 it
was a public school. It was purchased for use as a community center by the
Kiwanis Club and Enfield Citizens in 1967.
founded as a seminary in 1861
and incorporated as a college in 1865; coeducational from the beginning; peak
enrollment in 1909 was 160; college building destroyed by fire in 1917
Songe, Alice H.American Universities
and Colleges: A Dictionary of Name Changes.1978.
Woodrow
Wilson Junior College
Chicago
Illinois
1935
public
began at 6800 South Stewart
Street as one of threep colleges in the Junior College System of the City of
Chicago operated by the Chicago Board of Education; on July 1, 1966, the
Board of Trustees of Community College District No. 508, County of Cook and State
of Illinois, became operative under the 1966 Illinois Public Community
College Act transferring control from the Chicago Board of Education to the
Illinois State System of Community College Districts;now part of the City Colleges of Chicago
system; in July 1969, the name to Kennedy-King College in honor of Robert F.
Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.; Dawson Technical Institute and Washburne
Culinary Arts Program have become units of institution; moved to new campus
at 63rd & Halstad in summer 2007
http://kennedyking.ccc.edu/about_history.asp
Woman's
Medical College of Chicago
Chicago
Illinois
later the Woman's Medical School
of Northwestern University
